• About
    • Ethics policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Ownership, funding and corrections
    • Complaints procedure
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
Brighton and Hove News
8 July, 2025
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Brighton and Hove News
No Result
View All Result
Home Brighton

Former Brighton College head criticises state schools’ remorseless drive for exam success

by Frank le Duc
Friday 2 Oct, 2015 at 12:01PM
A A
0
Former Brighton College head criticises state schools’ remorseless drive for exam success

Anthony Seldon

The former head of Brighton College has criticised state schools for their remorseless drive for exam success.

Sir Anthony Seldon, the vice-chancellor of Buckingham University, said that people who went to fee-paying schools are dominating public life not only because of their exam success.

Anthony Seldon
Anthony Seldon

Sir Anthony, 62, said that they also had a grounding in soft skills such as creativity, empathy, grit, honesty, resilience and teamwork.

These were vital for success in the 21st century world of work, he told the Tatler Schools Live conference in Knighstbridge.

He said that the state sector had much to learn from independent schools. And he believed that the current Education Secretary Nicky Morgan was the first to appreciate the need for both academic rigour and the need to teach character and soft skills.

Sir Anthony was head of Brighton College from 1997 to 2005 when he left for another public school, Wellington. He took up his post at Buckingham University this year.

He has been a long-time advocate of teaching pupils to take care of their happiness and well-being.

Exam results did, however, improve markedly during his time at both Brighton College and Wellington.

Sir Anthony said: “Independent schools are taking the lead nationally in preparing students for the jobs required for the 21st century.

“As a Harvard study showed again last month, 21st century employers need much more than the skills developed in exams.

“They also need what are patronisingly called the ‘soft’ skills, ie, those that cannot be replicated by computers, which are fast taking over, not just manual but professional jobs also.

Nicky Morgan
Nicky Morgan

“These are skills of creativity, teamwork, empathy, grit, resilience and honesty.

“The remorseless drive in state schools for exam success is no longer fit for purpose.

“Students certainly need to be skilful at maths, science, languages and humanities. But they also need those skills that computers cannot replicate.

“Nicky Morgan is the first Secretary of State fully to appreciate that schools can excel at academic rigour and at teaching character, wellbeing and the soft skills that the 21st century economy and society require.

“The reason why alumni from independent schools are so dominant across society is not just because of the excellent exam results they receive but precisely because of the grounding in the soft skills.

“Though the best state sector (schools) manage to teach both for exams and for soft skills, the state sector overall has much to learn from the success of the British independent school model.

“I am expressly not critical of state schools themselves. They are the victim of forces that compel them to focus on a narrow range of exam teaching and subjects at the cost of broader education in the arts, character, sports and the social and work skills that employers increasingly want in the 21st century.

“Some state schools manage to do exams well and offer this breadth of education but it is much, much harder for them than independent schools.”

ShareTweetShareSendSendShare

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most read

Teens swept out to sea on calm sunny day

Hove school hosts educational leaders from around the world

Judge warns tip jar thief he will die young if he doesn’t turn his life around

Man suffers serious injuries in mass brawl in Western Road

Police try to trace Western Road brawl suspect

Former Brighton College head criticises state schools’ remorseless drive for exam success

Buses replace trains to London next weekend

Constance Marten baby death jury sent out to consider verdict

Forget Brighton’s No 1, Sonay Kartal could be Britain’s No 1

Trial date set for man accused of attempted rape in broad daylight in Brighton

Newsletter

Arts and Culture

  • All
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Food and Drink
Sananda Maitreya announces first UK tour in 23 years

Sananda Maitreya announces first UK tour in 23 years

7 July 2025
Glastonbury Festival 2025…venturing beyond the obvious!

Glastonbury Festival 2025…venturing beyond the obvious!

7 July 2025
Bad Immigrant

Bad Immigrant review

6 July 2025
From Lewes to LA : multi-award winning short film premier preview.

From Lewes to LA : multi-award winning short film premier preview.

5 July 2025
Load More

Sport

  • All
  • Brighton and Hove Albion
  • Cricket
Brighton tennis player beaten by seed in first round at Wimbledon

Sonay Kartal’s impressive Wimbledon run comes to an end

by Eleanor Crooks - PA sport correspondent
6 July 2025
0

Sonay Kartal’s fine Wimbledon run ended with a fourth-round defeat to Russian veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The Brighton and Hove player...

Sussex Sharks open T20 Blast with a win

Bad night for Sussex at Hove as Hampshire bounce back in Blast

by Bruce Talbot - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
5 July 2025
0

Hampshire Hawks ended a run of five games without a win in the Vitality Blast to revive their hopes of...

From Lewes to LA : multi-award winning short film premier preview.

From Lewes to LA : multi-award winning short film premier preview.

by Kairen Kemp
5 July 2025
0

FROM LEWES TO LA: MULTI-AWARD-WINNING SHORT FILM 'BACK OF THE NET’, EXPLORING THE LEGACY OF THE LIONESSES, SCREENS LEWES F.C....

Brighton tennis player beaten by seed in first round at Wimbledon

Forget Brighton’s No 1, Sonay Kartal could be Britain’s No 1

by Andy Sims - PA
5 July 2025
0

Not only does Sonay Kartal have a Wimbledon quarter-final in her sights but also the British No 1 spot. Brighton...

Load More
October 2015
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Sep   Nov »

RSS From Sussex News

  • Foot fetish caller sentenced for repeated calls to police 7 July 2025
  • White van man held over road rage at Crossbush 7 July 2025
  • Intruder carried out sex attack, say police 7 July 2025
  • Man held for assault after woman reports being followed and touched 6 July 2025
  • Flat linked to drugs forced to shut after court issues closure order 5 July 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy
  • Complaints
  • Ownership, funding and corrections
  • Ethics
  • T&C

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Opinion
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Contact

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News